It’s Official … Rhythm & Roots is back!
An e-mail to patrons this afternoon announced the good news. The Festival will be managed by Connecticut-based Goodworks Entertainment, while founder Chuck Wentworth and his family will continue to be involved in planning the Festival as consultants.
Read the text of the e-mail below for more details.
Rhythm & Roots Music Festival, a longstanding arts celebration, will return to Charlestown, RI, this Labor Day Weekend, September 2, 3 and 4. The event, now in its 24th year, will celebrate the end of summer in its original location, Ninigret Park.
The announcement follows the news of an unexpected cancellation, originally attributed to health concerns from founder and owner of Lagniappe Productions, Chuck Wentworth. Subsequently, Lagniappe sold the festival to independent, community-minded Hartford, CT-based Goodworks Entertainment, clearing the way for the festival’s return.
Goodworks brings twenty years of extensive experience in concert and festival production to the endeavor, entering the partnership with an overarching intention – maintaining the same charm that carried the festival through over two decades.
“Goodworks is a perfect fit to take over the festival…” said Wentworth. “…their underlying philosoph[ies] mirror that of those exemplified by Lagniappe Productions for the past 23 years.”
“We don’t plan on making any major changes to Rhythm & Roots as we will strive to continue the legacy that Chuck and his family have built over the years,” explained Goodworks Entertainment CEO and co-founder Tyler Grill. “Furthermore, Chuck and the family will stay on as consultants to aid and assist in the transition process as we take over the day to day operations of the festival.”
“What drew us to Rhythm & Roots, was the idea of tying together community, culture, and the arts, along with the big appeal of working with Wentworth,” added Goodworks co-founder Dave Rosenfeld. “This will be our first time in Rhode Island, and we want it to be a win-win.”
Grill and Wentworth, both acclaimed promoters in the northeast, will continue the tradition of booking top-tier talent from across the nation. Currently, the team is collaboratively selecting this year’s musical talent and finalizing remaining logistics. Initial artist lineup and ticketing details will arrive in the coming weeks.
